State legislators plan to introduce a bill that would more than double Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, raising it from $7.25 to $15, writes Pat Loeb for KYW Newsradio.

State Rep. Patty Kim, soon to become a state senator, has been pushing to raise the minimum wage since 2013, when she first took office. Her furthest progress came in 2023, when Democrats gained the majority in the state House. Despite passing the House, the bill stalled in the state Senate.

State Sen. Art Haywood of Philadelphia believes that anyone who makes less than $15 an hour and is struggling to make ends meet should not put the blame on inflation or even their employer alone.

“Senate Republicans in Pennsylvania have blocked raising the minimum wage,” he said.

Kim, Haywood, and Lancaster County state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El plan to introduce a bill to increase the minimum wage starting January 1, 2025, with the cost of living increases built in every year.

“By establishing a dignified wage, our legislation will help citizens obtain the sustainable living everyone deserves,” said Kim.

The last time Pennsylvania lawmakers raised the minimum wage was in 2009, when the federal minimum wage went up.

Read more about state legislators’ plans to introduce a bill that would more than double Pennsylvania’s minimum wage at KYW Newsradio.